Syndicate

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 24, 2008) – Trainer Bobby Frankel’s Proudinsky, second to Daytona in last year’s Grade II San Gabriel Handicap, on Sunday will strive to better his standing in Santa Anita’s 62nd running of the $150,000 turf event that attracted nine entrants bred in seven different countries.

On paper, form seems as mixed as the field’s origins. German-bred Proudinsky is coming off a fourth-place finish in Hollywood Park’s Grade I Citation Handicap last month when losing to Hyperbaric by 1¾ lengths after the rider dropped his whip in the stretch.

Garrett Gomez, aboard once previously when Proudinsky scored his last victory, takes over in the saddle. The 5-year-old has a 4-4-1 record in 16 starts for earnings of $700,337. He has gone winless in six starts since the score with Gomez on March 8 in the Grade II Mervyn Muniz Jr. Handicap at the Fair Grounds.

Italian-bred Becrux, a winner of 10 of 32 starts for earnings of $1,106,487, is the most accomplished entrant and narrowly defeated 12-1 Proudinsky when third in the Citation at odds of 23-1. Mike Smith will be back aboard for trainer John Sadler.

French-bred Obrigado seems to be coming off the strongest effort, a one-half length loss to Champs Elysees in the Grade I Hollywood Turf Cup on Dec. 6. Joel Rosario, who rode Obrigado for the first time that day, retains the mount for trainer Neil Drysdale. The 5-year-old has posted earnings of $577,504 with a record of 5-5-6 in 25 races. Obrigado, however, is riding a 10-race winless streak.

Chilean-bred Porfido, also trained by Frankel, has been knocking on the door in recent starts, but hasn’t won since January. David Flores rides the 6-year-old bay who has earned $497,306 from an 8-1-9 record in 30 starts.

British-bred Medici Code won a pair of Grade II stakes at Del Mar in the summer of last year after being imported by trainer Darrell Vienna, but the 4-year-old gelding has been winless in his last six races. Medici Code most recently finished fifth in the Citation.

The San Gabriel will go as the eighth race on a nine-race program with first post at 12:30 p.m. The $70,000 Blue Norther Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies at one mile on turf, will be run as the fourth race. Internallyflawless, a fast-closing runner-up to Habaya in Hollywood Park’s Grade III Miesque Stakes last month, is the likely favorite among nine entrants. Gomez rides for trainer Bob Baffert.